ARRL General Bulletin ARLB024 (2013)

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ARLB024 FCC Turns Away Petition to Expand Technician 10 Meter
Privileges
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ARRL Bulletin 24 ARLB024
From ARRL Headquarters
Newington CT October 22, 2013
To all radio amateurs
SB QST ARL ARLB024
ARLB024 FCC Turns Away Petition to Expand Technician 10 Meter
Privileges
The FCC has dismissed a Petition for Rule Making that sought to
expand Technician privileges in the 10 meter band. The Toledo Mobile
Radio Association (TMRA) had asked the Commission last June to
expand the spectrum available to Technician licensees on 10 meters
to include operating privileges in the FM portion of the band, from
29.520 to 29.700 MHz. Novice and Technician licensees now may
operate on 10 meters from 28.000 to 28.500 MHz.
"We conclude that TMRA has not presented grounds for the Commission
to revisit the question of operating privileges for Technician class
licensees," the FCC said October 17 in denying the petition. The FCC
said that Technicians may transmit through repeaters licensed to a
General class or higher licensee that have an output channel in the
29.5 to 29.7 MHz segment, as long as the repeater has a 2 meter or
70 centimeter input.
Further, the FCC pointed out that the current licensing structure
was developed "with the expressed desire of the amateur community to
provide an incentive, ie, additional frequency privileges, to
motivate Amateur Radio operators to advance their communication and
technical skills." The FCC noted that it increased Technician
privileges in 2006 to include Novice and Technician Plus privileges.
"A Technician class licensee can upgrade to a General class operator
license and receive significantly more frequency privileges
(including those at issue here) by answering correctly a minimum of
twenty-six questions on a thirty-five question written examination,"
the FCC said. TMRA, the Commission concluded, had submitted no
evidence that the FCC should depart from its "long-standing policy
of providing additional frequency privileges as an incentive" for
license advancement.
TMRA had asserted that amending Â§97.301(e) of Part 97 would extend
Technician voice privileges on 10 meters to "coincide with today's
technical advancement of the Amateur Radio Service."
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